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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/28901514">The Pink TuTu – Chapter Outtakes</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jem4ever/pseuds/Jem4ever'>Jem4ever</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>The Pink TuTu Universe [3]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Pretty Little Liars</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>F/F, F/M, Family, Family moments without a very important person, Trigger Warnings – kidnapping, coping with helpless feelings, coping with loss of child, promise!!, sand/angsty, very sad but with a happy ending</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-02-03</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-02-24</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-13 10:22:04</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>8</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>13,791</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/28901514</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jem4ever/pseuds/Jem4ever</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>I couldn't put it down. It opened up so many possibilities.</p><p>This story will have missing scenes from "The Pink TuTu – alternate ending". The day Rosie went missing, Scottie watching videos of his big sister, and the Montgomery-Hastings continuing life without their daughter. Includes first holidays without Rosie.</p><p>Sparia with mentions of Haleb and Emison. This will have Natalie and Taylor (Emison’s kids), and Rosie’s brother Scottie, as well as Haleb’s son, Mason.</p><p>Trigger warnings for child kidnapping!</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Alison DiLaurentis/Emily Fields, Family &amp; Friendship - Relationship, Hanna Marin/Caleb Rivers, Spencer Hastings/Aria Montgomery</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>The Pink TuTu Universe [3]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/2118504</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>5</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Rosie’s 5th Birthday & Disappearance</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>I don’t own PLL or the characters. This one is a multi-chap so there will be moments involving everyone.</p><p>This will be the first chapter with Rosie’s birthday and her going missing. Also, since Natalie is nonverbal, which will be explained, she uses sign language to communicate.</p><p>Enjoy! :)</p>
    </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>This is the first chapter and it will be Rosie’s birthday and her going missing. Also, since Natalie is nonverbal, which will be explained in the chapter, she uses sign language to communicate.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p><b><em>Words</em></b><em> <b>being</b> <b>signed</b></em>. <span class="u"><em><strong>Words spoken and signed</strong></em></span>.</p><p><em><strong>June 27</strong> </em> <em> <strong>, 2016<br/>Rosie's fifth birthday/day Rosie went missing</strong> </em></p><p>
  <strong> <em>*Montgomery-Hastings Residence*</em> </strong>
</p><p>Early in the morning, before the sun is even up, Spencer and Aria are woken up by their daughter.</p><p>They hear the slapping of her footsteps on the hardwood floor first, before giggling, the door opening, and Rosie jumping on their bed.</p><p>"Mommy! Mamma! Wake up!"</p><p>Spencer rolls over first, smiling at her daughter.</p><p>"Hey, Rosepetal!" Spencer sits up, letting Rosie climb into her lap. "What are you doing up so early?" She pretends not to know what today is, because Rosie always finds it funny.</p><p>"Mommy, don't you know? It's my <em>birthday</em>!"</p><p>"Oh, is it?" As she acts "confused", the 5-year-old falls over in a fit of giggles.</p><p>"Yes! <em>I'm one-whole-hand old</em>! See?" She holds up five fingers.</p><p>"Oh, my, that's right!" As it "dawns" on her, Spencer gasps, "My little baby, all grown up!"</p><p>Aria finally speaks then, having been quiet, listening to her daughter and wife interact with each other.</p><p>"Happy Birthday, my Sweet Girl," Rosie hugs her mamma. "Are you ready for your day of fun?"</p><p>"Yep! I can't wait to go to the zoo! I wanna see the Zebras and the Tigers, and the Penguins, and, um…oh! And the Panda Bears!"</p><p>Rosie keeps chattering about what animals she wants to see and whether she will get cotton candy or a funnel cake as a snack. Spencer heads to the kitchen to make her Birthday Breakfast, while Aria goes to check on Scottie.</p><p>Spencer makes five mini pancakes, about the size of three regular-sized ones. Rosie is five so that is how many pancakes she gets. There are red, blue, purple, green, and polka dots, which was made by Spencer making a pink pancake, pouring the batter on the pan, and dripping green food coloring randomly throughout the pancake.</p><p>It wasn't perfect, of course, but Rosie thinks it is the coolest thing ever – of course, this is the first time she has ever even seen a <em>polka dot</em> pancake, and she requests that all six of her pancakes be polka dot for next year.</p><p>Aria comes downstairs with Scottie, who is freshly awoken with a clean diaper, and puts him in his high chair. Rosie shares her pancake and Spencer adds cheerios while Aria gets some yogurt for the toddler.</p><p>"Scottie can have some of my blue and green pancakes, Mamma," Rosie explains as she puts some of the cut-up pieces on Scottie's highchair table. "But he can have some purples, too, cause it doesn't hafta be just a girl color, right, Mamma?"</p><p>Aria smiles at the soon-to-be kindergartener. "Yes, that is right. Scottie can like pink and purple, just like you can like blue and green."</p><p>The next couple of hours consist of Rosie opening a birthday present, an outfit for the trip to the Rosewood Zoo. And then Rosie and Scottie get a bath, with Aria adding special tablets to the water, to make it a dark purple, after they are washed off, of course.</p><p>Then, everyone gets dressed. They have matching outfits.</p><p>"Woah, these are so cool!" Rosie exclaims as she sees everyone's shirts. Spencer's is blue and reads <em>"Mommy of the Birthday Girl</em>", while Aria's is light pink and reads, <em>"Mamma of the Birthday Girl</em>".</p><p>Scottie's shirt is a onesie with beige khaki shorts. It is a darker blue version of Spencer's color. His reads, <em>"Little Brother of the Birthday Girl"</em>.</p><p>And, of course, Rosie's is purple, her favorite color, and reads, <em>"Birthday Girl"</em>.</p><p>"Is everyone ready?" Spencer asks as Aria is making sure Rosie's backpack and Scottie's diaper bag are packed.</p><p>"We are," Aria sends her wife a grin. "I'm not sure where the Birthday Girl is, though."</p><p>Chuckling, Spencer calls out, "<em>Rosie! Come get your shoes so we can leave</em>!"</p><p>Rosie comes skipping down the stairs, with her light up sandals and grabs Spencer's hand after putting on her backpack. Aria picks up Scottie and the diaper bag and the four make their way to the car.</p><hr/><p>
  <strong> <em>*Rosewood Zoo*</em> </strong>
</p><p>They meet everyone at the Zoo. Hanna and Caleb come with their 19-month-old son, Mason, and Em and Ali bring their children, 9-year-old Natalie and 12-year-old Taylor.</p><p>"'Pens! Ar!" Mason squeals as soon as he sees his two aunties.</p><p>"Hey, Mr. Mason!" The toddler runs to Spencer as soon as she is close enough for Hanna to put him down. She picks him up, spinning in a circle and listens as he giggles.</p><p>"Mas, can you show Rosie, Scottie, and Auntie Spence and Ar what we have been practicing?" Hanna asks him. He nods eagerly, and says,</p><p>"Hahpee Birfay, Wosie!"</p><p>Rosie beams at his words.</p><p>"Thanks, Mason!"</p><p>"Look at you, Mr. Mason," Aria praises. "Such a big boy!"</p><p>"Hi, Auntie Em, hi Auntie Ali!" Rosie finally says to her other two aunts.</p><p>"Happy Birthday, Rosie," Ali tells her while Emily picks her up.</p><p>"Happy Birthday, Rosalie," Taylor greets while his sister Natalie just stays quiet, well, with her words that is, but she does say, with sign language,</p><p>"<strong><em>Happy Birthday</em></strong>!"</p><p>You see, Natalie was born as a "normal" child by all accounts. However, she was a late-talker, starting at 3 years. When she did start speaking, she needed some serious speech therapy, as she had, and still has, Dyspraxia, which made it hard for her to properly enunciate and pronounce all the syllables and letters sounds in words.</p><p>Due to multiple foster parents emotionally abusing her because of her speech issues, not to mention the bullying at school for it, Nat eventually became a mute, and stopped talking altogether.</p><p>In the last year or so that Alison and Emily have had her, they have been teaching her sign language. They started with the basic necessities first – eat, yes/no, please/thank you, bath, bed, school/home, and family signs.</p><p>Then, each month, they taught her holiday signs, for example, in October it was sign language for Halloween, then Thanksgiving in November, and so on. Nat also knows the signs for several different foods and drinks, so she can be as specific as possible when asking for something. And she learns new signs for when they visit places (the zoo, park, etc.).</p><p>Now, a year later, and Natalie can communicate with all of her family. Her parents and brother, her cousins, aunts, and uncles. Everyone has learned, or is learning, sign language so they can communicate back with more than just verbal words.</p><p>Now, Natalie is happy to be able communicate with her cousins, and Rosie beams with pride as Nat wishes her a Happy Birthday.</p><p>She signs back, while also speaking, "<strong><em><span class="u">Thank you</span></em></strong>!"</p><p>The group goes to pay to get into the Zoo. Because of her shirt, Rosie gets in free and the group pays half-price, due to it being Rosie's birthday, and admission being half off the regular price, or free for the Birthday Girl or Boy.</p><p>They go see the Tigers first.</p><p>"Mommy, I can't 'member," Rosie says as she hopes up onto the railing to get a better look into the tiger's den. "Was Simba a lion or a tiger?"</p><p>"Simba a lion!" Mason answers. "Rawr!"</p><p>"Oh, yeah, dat's right! He <em>was</em> a lion, 'cause he didn't have stripes like a tiger, right, Mommy?"</p><p>"That is correct," Spencer replies as she takes pride in how smart her little girl is. "Only tigers have stripes."</p><p>"Zebras do, too, Auntie Spencer!" Taylor pipes up from where he was posing for a picture with Mason, Scottie, and Natalie.</p><p>"Well, I–"</p><p>Aria giggles at the look on Spencer's face as she realizes she has been outsmarted by a 12-year-old.</p><p>Spencer 'pffts' and shakes her head good-naturally.</p><p>"I meant out of a tiger and lion.” She mumbles because Taylor is no longer paying attention, and Rosie isn't either, as she is now getting a piggyback ride from her oldest cousin.</p><p>Trying to stifle more laughter, Aria mockingly pats Spencer on the arm.</p><p>"I <em>meant</em> between a lion and tiger," She partly whines, emphasizing what she meant.</p><p>"We know, Spence, we know."</p><p>Next up are the lions, because now all kids want to see if they can find Simba among the group.</p><p>"You know, Sim–"</p><p>"Nope!" Alison cuts her cousin off sharply, knowing exactly what the taller woman was going to say. "No, no, and no."</p><p>Emily and Aria share a giggle, while Hanna is shaking her head in amusement.</p><p>"If the kids want to pretend that a little lion from a movie exists in real life, <em>you</em> Spencer Montgomery-Hastings, are going to <em>let them</em> do <em>exactly that</em>."</p><p>"Eh-eh-eh," Shaking her head when Spencer tries to speak, although it would have been muffled anyway, she says, "Nope. Don't say it, don't even think it. You got it?"</p><p>Rolling her eyes, Spencer concedes. And then she enjoys watching her wife and best friends take photographs of her son and daughter, and nieces and nephews, looking into the Lion's den, trying to find Simba, Mufasa, and Simba's mom.</p><p>"Oh, what about Scarr?" She hears Taylor ask. "Do you think he is in there somewhere?" Because apparently, even a 12-year-old believes Simba and his family actually exist outside <em>The Lion King.</em></p><p>"<strong><em>Yes</em></strong>," Natalie responds.</p><p>"Where do you see Uncle Scarr, Nattie?" Rosie asks, trying to see all the lions at once.</p><p>"<strong><em>There</em></strong>!" Natalie points to the far left, over under a rock cliff that is providing the animals shade. A lion, with a black mane instead of blonde, lays on the rock, half sunning, and half in the shaded area.</p><p>"Woah!" Rosie's grow to the size of saucers. "Look, Mommy, Mamma! That's Simba's Uncle Scarr!"</p><p>"It is, isn't it?" Finally playing along, Spencer has to admit the black-maned lion does look quite similar to the evil Uncle Scarr from <em>The Lion King</em>.</p><hr/><p>
  <strong> <em>*Later*</em> </strong>
</p><p>Once they have gone through about a fourth of the animals, the adults decide it is time for lunch. Scottie is already asleep in his stroller, and Mason, who is beside him in the double seat, is starting to fuss from being hungry.</p><p>Once they eat, they let the kids play on the little playground so they can cool off for a little bit.</p><p>Spencer keeps an eye on her daughter, as the Birthday Girl makes a new friend in a little boy about a year or so older than her.</p><p>She watches Rosie race the boy and Natalie up the stairs and then the three goes down the triplet slide.</p><p>Giggling, Rosie cheers, "I won! Now let's race to the monkey bars!"</p><p>Rosie goes first, since it is her birthday.</p><p>"Nattie, will you help? I don't want to fall."</p><p>Natalie positions herself under the 5-year-old, holding her legs as Rosie attempts to go across the bars, and then she and the little boy cheer for her as Rosie makes it to the other side.</p><p>10 minutes later, and it happens.</p><p>"Hey, babe," Spencer calls out. "I'm going to get a refill, you need anything?"</p><p>Aria just shakes her head; she is busy getting cheerios for Scottie, who is now wide-awake from his nap.</p><p>They have no idea.</p><p>Alison calls for Natalie and Taylor. Emily gets the sunscreen out of their backpack.</p><p>Hanna changes Mason's diaper in the bathroom. Caleb tags along to go the restroom as well.</p><p>Spencer stands in line, watching her daughter, still.</p><p>She hears a, "What can I get you, Ma'am," from the person at the window of the little restaurant.</p><p>She looks away, for a split second.</p><p>For the time it takes for her to say the words, "I'd like a refill. Sprite, please."</p><p>Spencer looks back over. She cannot see their tables from where she is standing, so when she does not see Rosie at the slide, or the monkey bars, or the other climbing equipment, she does not worry as much as she probably should.</p><p>Spencer receives her cup and heads back over to Aria.</p><p><em>No Rosie</em>.</p><p>Her heart begins to race, but she does not go into panic mode just yet.</p><p>Her daughter could be in the bathroom with Hanna.</p><p>"Hey, babe," She says instead. "Is Rosie with Han in the restroom?"</p><p>Alarmed by the question, Aria glances up from attending to her son.</p><p>"No, I thought she was on the playground?"</p><p>Before Spencer can speak, she sees something that makes her blood run cold.</p><p>Hanna and Caleb coming back from the bathrooms, Mason on Caleb's shoulder, no Rosie in sight.</p><p>She spins around. Rosie isn't on the playground, in line, or at any of the tables.</p><p>"Rosie!" Spencer suddenly shouts, and that is when it dawns on Aria what is happening.</p><p>"Rosalie Faye!"</p><p>Aria's hands begin to shake, her heart racing. "Rosie!" She shouts also, and the girls and Caleb realize what is happening, as well.</p><p>"Rosalie! – Rosie! – Rosalie Faye Hastings!"</p><p>No response.</p><p>"What the hell is going on?!" Hanna demands after she had been yelling her niece's name.</p><p>"We can't find Rosie," Aria answers desperately. "Have you seen her? Was she in the bathroom with you?"</p><p>"No! I thought she was on the playground!"</p><p>Alison turns from where she is comforting Natalie while Emily and Taylor look around the playground equipment.</p><p>"Could she be there now? Maybe she went and we just didn't see her. Someone should go look; Spence, Ar, do you want me to go?"</p><p>"No" The artist's voice shakes as she answers. "Stay here with Scottie, please." The toddler is screaming his head off, unsettled by the tension he is feeling around him. "Spence and I will go look."</p><p>They do so and can feel the tension and the worry and the panic rise as the only people in the closet woman's restroom is a teenager and her 2-year-old little sister.</p><p>They don't break, though. They keep their wits about them.</p><p>They walk around the zoo, calling Rosie's name, asking people if they have seen the little girl.</p><p>They tell them simply what she has on – it isn't exactly hard to mistake a missing child for another, when said missing child has a shirt that literally says, <em>Birthday Girl</em>.</p><p>After all, how many little girls who are five, with curly blonde hair and a pink tutu are going to have that shirt on?</p><p>It isn't until an hour later, when Zoo security has stepped in and the police are called, that Aria breaks.</p><p>An Amber Alert goes out on the evening news.</p><p>Family call from miles away.</p><p>Mike and his wife.</p><p>Mel and her husband.</p><p>Spencer's parents.</p><p>Aria's parents.</p><p>Aria's grandmother.</p><p>Alison and Emily's parents.</p><p>Jason, Emily's brother, Jacob, her sister, Grace. Hanna's mom even calls, wanting to <em>be sure</em> she read it right, when the 5 o'clock news displays the words,</p><p>
  <em>5-year-old Rosalie Montgomery-Hastings disappears at Rosewood Zoo.</em>
</p><hr/><p>Spencer keeps it together.</p><p>She has too.</p><p>She does not feel as though she has any right to be upset, when this is <em>her fault</em>.</p><p>If she had insisted on Rosie staying with Aria while she went to get a refill.</p><p>If she had insisted on Rosie coming to the line with her.</p><p>If she had kept a fucking eye on her daughter.</p><p>She does comfort Aria, however. They are home alone since they dropped off Scottie with Spencer's parents. They are in absolutely no shape to take care of a needy 13-month-old.</p><p>That night, the 5 o'clock, 6 o'clock, and 10 o'clock news shows the details of Rosie's Amber Alert…</p><p>
  <strong> <em>Name: Rosalie Montgomery-Hastings<br/>Birthday: June 27, 2011<br/>Missing: June 27, 2016<br/>Age Now: 5<br/>Race: Caucasian<br/>Sex: Female<br/>Hair: Blonde (curly)<br/>Eyes: Blue<br/>Ht: 39 ins. (3'3)<br/>Wt: 35 lbs.</em> </strong>
</p><p>
  <em> <strong>Details: Rosalie may go by the nickname "Rosie". Rosalie was last seen at the Rosewood Zoo. She was wearing a pink tutu, pink sandals, and a purple shirt with the words "Birthday Girl". She was last seen near the Lioness Playarea.</strong> </em>
</p><p> </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. The Search Goes On (2 weeks later)</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>A recap of the weeks following the last chapter. The search for 5-year-old Rosalie Montgomery-Hastings continues into its second and third week.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I do not own PLL or the characters. I do own all of the OCs.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p><em> <strong>Two weeks later (July 14</strong> </em> <em> <strong>th</strong> </em> <em> <strong>, 2016)<br/>Days Missing: two weeks, 4 hours, 20 minutes</strong> </em></p><hr/><p>
  <strong> <em>*Montgomery-Hastings Residence*</em> </strong>
</p><p>It has been 17 days since their daughter disappeared into thin air at the Rosewood Zoo.</p><p>These last 17 days have both been extremely hectic, and have gone by at a crawl.</p><p>Spencer and Aria look like themselves on the outside, maybe a little more tired, a little more dark circles under their eyes, but on the inside, they are hollowed out.</p><p>Their hearts ache for their little girl; their stomachs can't take food, because of the grief. They have a constant headache from crying so much, dehydrating themselves, and not sleeping.</p><p>They have searched everywhere they could think of – the Zoo, the highways around the Zoo, the woods around their house and each of the girls and grandparents' houses.</p><p>They looked in every animal habitat at the Zoo, in fear that Rosie may have wandered off for what was supposed to be a moment, and then accidently fell in somewhere. They searched every vehicle in the parking lot.</p><p>They looked in the park close to their house. They searched creeks, rivers, abandoned houses, and buildings.</p><p><em>Nothing</em>.</p><p>For 17 days, Spencer and Aria have stayed at home. They took turns staying with Scottie; the little boy needs his mothers. He does not understand what is wrong, why his mommies are crying all the time; he is just 13 months old.</p><p>He probably doesn't even remember his big sister.</p><p>Therefore, they take turns. On some days, Spencer goes out to coordinate with the police and the Search &amp; Rescue teams.</p><p>However, she never gives the sniffer dogs pieces of clothing with Rosie's scent on them, that is always one of the other girls.</p><p>On other days, Spencer is at home, silently crying, hating herself.</p><p>If only she had <em>not turned away</em>. If only she had done something different that day, if only, if only, if only.</p><p>The police and Search &amp; Rescue groups turn up empty each time they do a sweep of the woods, the creeks, the abandoned houses, the cars leaving town, the places that only a 5-year-old could hide in.</p><p><em>Nothing</em>.</p><p>Veronica gave a t-shirt, one of Rosie's favorites, that was left on her bedroom floor, to the sniffer dogs. They searched the woods, trashcans, dumpsters.</p><p>The dogs were used everywhere that they possible could be. At the Zoo, the vehicles in the parking lot, the area around the Zoo in case she wandered off and was hiding somewhere around the property.</p><p>For days, people grouped together and searched, hunted, called Rosie's name. They ate soup made by some of the volunteers during their breaks.</p><p>Spencer and Aria went on TV, their plea for the safe return of their baby girl played on a loop on the evening news and even on the 4 and 6 o'clock morning news.</p><p><em>Nothing</em>.</p><p>Ella and Byron come in from out of town. They, along with Peter and Veronica, take care of Aria and Spencer's chores such as, making them dinner and lunch, cooking them bigger meals, or ones that are more mundane like oatmeal.</p><p>They help with the laundry. Towels and wash clothes, their clothes, Scottie's outfits. However, there is a basket of Rosie's shirts and shorts, unwashed, for the sniffer dogs.</p><p>This is how Aria finds Spencer, on the day that marls 19 days since their daughter disappeared.</p><p>She is in the laundry room, folding towels and wash clothes, t-shits and shorts.</p><p>Spencer finds something that makes it all come crashing down around her.</p><p><em>A Sesame Street gown</em>.</p><p>It must have been mixed in with Spencer's pajama shirts and Aria's yoga pants.</p><p>The sight of it causes Spencer's chest to tighten, her heart to beat faster, and the feeling of <em>not knowing where the fuck her daughter is</em> to nearly overwhelm her.</p><p>Aria sees it happen before she can process and do anything to stop it.</p><p>She sees Spencer shoulders fold in on themselves, see them shake, sees her wife slide down the wall to the floor as she hugs that goddamned gown to her chest.</p><p>She rushes over, — nearly falls but catches herself — and slides down beside the older woman.</p><p>Aria gathers Spencer in her arms, whispers words as soothing as they can possibly be.</p><p>She shakes her head at Spencer telling her she <em>is sorry, this is my fault, if only I had watched her, if only I had not taken my eyes off her</em>.</p><p>She tells her it isn't her fault.</p><p>She whispers that she loves her and that she knows Spencer loves Rosie.</p><p>Aria murmurs that she would never blame her, that it happened in only one second, that it could have been Hanna or Alison or Caleb or Emily or even her, Aria, herself, who was watching and looked away for <em>just one second</em>.</p><p>And she holds Spencer as she finally breaks and she prays for a solution, for her baby girl to come back, for this to all be a terrible, horrible, heartbreaking dream.</p><p>She wonders when they will wake up.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Next will be their first Halloween without Rosie. Please leave kudos, comment, let me know what you thought. I will try to update frequently, if I can remember, because I already have 8 chapters of this story completed. :)</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. August 29th, 2016</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>What was supposed to be Rosie’s first day of Kindergarten is, instead, filled with heartache and longing for their little girl to be returned to them.</p><p>To honor Rosie, they watch videos with Scottie, so he will not forget who Rosie was.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I don’t own PLL or the characters, but all OCs are mine. This chapter is rated closer to K+.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p><em> <strong>August 29</strong> </em> <em> <strong>th,</strong> </em> <em> <strong> 2016</strong> </em></p><hr/><p>
  <strong> <em>*Montgomery-Hastings Residence*</em> </strong>
</p><p>Today is a hard day. It is Monday, August 29. Also known as, the day Rosie would have started Kindergarten.</p><p>Saturday was the twenty-seventh. Exactly two months since the 5-year-old little girl disappeared.</p><p>Spencer and Aria have started wondering some things since Rosie's disappearance two months ago.</p><p>Like, <em>what if Rosie picked the park as her birthday treat?</em></p><p>Or, <em>what if they had stayed home, with a bounce house and swim party instead of the Zoo?</em></p><p>And,<em> what if Aria had called Rosie over to put sunscreen on her, like Alison and Emily had called for Taylor and Natalie?</em></p><p>Would she still have gone missing?</p><p>Would their little girl be here, instead, running in nearly two hours before she needed to wake up, to excitedly remind them that today she starts <em>Big Kid school!</em>… ?</p><p>Would she be excited that she would get to ride the bus home? Or that she gets a Special Class, like Art and Library?</p><p>Would she have lost a tooth already, like Spencer, who lost her first tooth the week before Christmas of the year she was in Kindergarten, or would she still have a year and a half left, like Aria, who was halfway through first grade before her smile became gap-toothed?</p><p>Monday is hard day for Spencer and Aria.</p><p>They stay home from work, drag themselves out of bed even if it plainly for Scottie, and no one else.</p><p>They watch videos, ones that have Rosie in them.</p><p>They watch for themselves, for Scottie, to make sure he knows who his big sister is. Today, Scottie is 16 months old. He is old enough to, at least, <em>really</em> begin watching home movies.</p><p>The first one is one where Aria is pregnant with Scottie, about 6 months, give or take a few days. She had been having some serious cravings, and Rosie wanted to try her latest one.</p><hr/><p>
  <strong> <em>**Video begins here:**</em> </strong>
</p><p><strong> <em>Time: November 14</em> </strong> <strong> <em>th</em> </strong> <strong> <em>, 2017 (4 months pregnant)<br/>Location: Rosewood, Pennsylvania</em> </strong></p><p>"Mommy!" Rosie comes skipping into the kitchen from her bedroom. She heard the telltale sounds of the blender being used and wanted in on whatever was being made.</p><p>"Pease I have one?" The 3-year-old asks without even finding out what is being made in the first place.</p><p>Spencer chuckles from where she is, at the counter, using the blender, in order to make her wife a smoothie of her latest craving, – a lemon and banana smoothie, with peanuts sprinkled on top. Aria sits at the kitchen island, eagerly awaiting said smoothie.</p><p>"Sure, Rosepetal, you can have one of these. Would you like to know what kind it is?"</p><p>"Sure, Mommy, I would love to know!"</p><p>"Mamma has asked me to make her a…you ready for this?..." Rosie's eyes widen, her brain trying to figure out what kind of kooky craving, – as her aunties and uncles call it, – her baby brother or sister is causing her Mamma to have this time.</p><p>"Wait! I wanna guess."</p><p>Spencer waits.</p><p>"Um…is it a pana-cake with bwussel sprouts and ketchup again?"</p><p>Yes, that is right. At some point during, not only Aria's pregnancy with Rosalie, but now with her little brother/sister, Aria had cravings for pancakes, which sounds normal, right?</p><p>Wrong.</p><p>Because it was not <em>only</em> pancakes. It was pancakes with ketchup, and yeah, yeah, that could be considered normal, too.</p><p>Until you add in the streaming, ketchup and syrup cover Brussel sprouts that Aria had shoved into her mouth only seconds after eating a similar covered piece of pancake.</p><p>God the look on Rosie's face when she walked into the kitchen to see her Mamma eating that weird and disgusting concoction is something that will stay in Spencer's mind for many years to come.</p><p>It was the only time their 3-year-old was rendered speechless.</p><p>Once she saw what was going on, Rosie had promptly turned around, and walked right back out of the kitchen, because Aria had taken up a habit of offering her craving to Rosie, and the little girl wanted absolutely no part whatsoever, in a piece of ketchupy, Brussel sprout-pancake.</p><p>Smiling, Spencer reassures her, "No, Rosepetal. This isn't the pancake with Brussel sprouts and ketchup again."</p><p>Rosie lets out a dramatic sigh of relief, covering her forehead with both hands, and saying,</p><p>”Oh, <em>thank goodness</em>! That was really dis-bustin'!"</p><p>This time, it is Aria who chuckles, mainly at Rosie adorable little mispronunciation. But she is cut off from speaking by Spencer putting down a glass of some kind of yellow-colored smoothie, and a smaller cup, a purple sippy-cup, for Rosie.</p><p>"This," Spencer begins, as she grabs the camera, which was sat at end of the counter extending from the sink, in order to capture both her at the blender and Aria at the island, "is a banana and lemon smoothie, with peanuts on top."</p><p>Aria looks like she currently loves the drink more than her wife or daughter, and Rosie's expression is a mix of disgust and intriguement.</p><p>Spencer zooms the camera in, so the frame is filled with her wife and daughter as they simultaneously take a sip of their drinks.</p><p>Aria smirks as she looks up at Spencer. "This is delicious, babe. Would you like to try some?"</p><p>She is smirking because she loves seeing the look Spencer makes whenever she offers her a bite or drink of whatever <em>unhealthy, disgusting</em> <em>thing</em> their son is "wanting".</p><p>This time is no different.</p><p>"Nope! I, most certainly, do <em>not</em> want to <em>ever</em> know what bananas, lemons, and peanut taste like when blenderized together."</p><p>Aria grins, though, waving the cup towards Spencer, then taking a dramatic, long drawn-out sip of the smoothie.</p><p>"It is <em>so</em> good."</p><p>Next to her, Rosie sucks the last few drops of her own smoothie, and eats the peanuts that had floated to the bottom of her sippy-cup.</p><p>"Mommy, pease, I have more?" She grins up at her mother and Spencer doesn't have to look over to Aria, to know that her wife is has a smug grin on her face.</p><p>This seems to be one more "weird, disgusting" craving that Rosie enjoys also. Spencer sighs heavily, ignoring her smirking wife, and scoops up Rosie's sippy cup to give her a refill.</p><p>Meanwhile, Rosie turns to her Mamma.</p><p>"Dat was weally good, Mamma! You should have more cwavins' like dat!"</p><p>
  <strong> <em>**End of video**</em> </strong>
</p><hr/><p>About halfway through, Scottie had lost interest in the video and is now playing with his building blocks and toy trucks.</p><p>Spencer and Aria, however, have lost the battle with keeping their emotions in check.</p><p>Oh, Rosie, sweet, sweet little Rosie. Her high-pitched "little kid" voice and that smile which was all Aria.</p><p>Spencer sniffles quietly as Aria stands up to go to the VCR player. Yes, they still use those types of movies for their home videos, instead of DVDs, as DVDs can be scratched up or broken easily.</p><p>Aria fasts forwards through the next movie, which is just more of her and Rosie drinking smoothies and trying to get Spencer to try it also.</p><p>She comes across one more, where Spencer and Aria finally let Rosie know whether the new baby is a girl or boy. They found out two weeks before Christmas and then revealed it to Rosie on Christmas.</p><hr/><p>
  <strong> <em>**Video begins**</em> </strong>
</p><p>
  <b> <em>Time: December 24th, 2017 (5 months pregnant)<br/>Location: Rosewood, Pennsylvania</em> </b>
</p><p>"Mommy! Mamma!" 3-year-old Rosalie Faye skips through the house, hyperactive and ramped up for what tonight is.</p><p>Not only does Santa come, but also Spencer and Aria are going to reveal to their daughter whether she is going to have a baby brother or a baby sister when the new baby comes.</p><p>Once again, Spencer has set up the camera on the fireplace mantle, and it is overlooking the living room, in order to record the magical moment of Rosie finding out if she will have a sister or a brother.</p><p>"Do I get to know now, Mamma?" Rosie asks because her moms have been telling her "on Christmas, we will tell you if the baby is a sissy or a bubba."</p><p>Spencer is upstairs doing last minute preparation on the reveal, so Aria replies with,</p><p>"Mommy is almost done, then, once Gramma and Grampa, Papa and Nona, and your aunties and uncles get here, you can have your surprise, deal?"</p><p>Aria is expecting that Rosie will just smile as she has been and nod excitedly before asking to watch a movie or for Aria to color in her new coloring book that she received a few days ago, as an early Christmas present.</p><p>However, instead, the smile drops from Rosalie's face, a frown marring her features.</p><p>"NO! I wanna know <em>now</em>!" She suddenly yells, stomping her foot, and crossing her arms.</p><p>And, quite frankly, it surprises Aria because this is such an unexpected response from her daughter.</p><p>"Rosie, honey, I know you want your surprise now, but, Mommy is still making sure it is all ready to go. And we need to wait until everyone is here, so they can find out also."</p><p>Speaking gently is usually how she or Spencer deals with Rosie when she is upset, scared, mad, etc., so of course, she thinks it needs to be done now.</p><p>After all, she can understand how difficult it must be at 3, to have to wait to find out if her Mamma if pregnant with her sister or her brother.</p><p>Aria remembers being just a little younger than three when Ella was pregnant with Mike. She was so excited to find out it was a brother or a sister.</p><p>However, Rosie seems to not be listening, as is the case with many tantrum moments.</p><p>"NO! I wanna know <em>now</em>! Now, now, <em>now</em>!" She lets out a scream, red-faced and angry, before dropping to the floor, and making a chant of her demand – "I wanna know <em>now</em>!"</p><p>Sighing, her hormones making her crazy and quick to do things she might regret, Aria simply turns the camera off, and walks out of the room.</p><p>
  <strong> <em>*Later*</em> </strong>
</p><p>Once Rosie's temper tantrum is over, Spencer turns the camera back on.</p><p>Everyone else has also arrived, eaten lunch, talked for a little bit, and are now going to watch Rosie open a giant cardboard box. It will have colored balloons in it, according to which gender the new baby is.</p><p>"Are you ready, Rosepetal?" Spencer asks the hyped-up toddler.</p><p>She gets an excited nod in return.</p><p>"Yep, yep, yep! I wedy mommy! I hope it's a boy!"</p><p>Smirking, Spencer shares a smile with her wife. If a brother is Rosie <em>really </em>wants, there is no way she will be disappointed with the outcome of this reveal present.</p><p>"Okay, Little Rosepetal, on 3, you can open the box, alright?" Aria's brother, Mike, — who is engaged to a lovely woman named Lucille, who has a son named Ronan from a previous marriage, — is going to help Rosie open the box.</p><p>Spencer begins counting, "1…2…3! Open it up!"</p><p>Mike rips off the tape and Rosie hurriedly flips the flaps, letting…</p><p>Light blue, green, and brown balloons float up towards the ceiling, with one balloon, in particular, having the words <em>It's a Boy!</em> on it.</p><p>Rosie shrieks as she realizes what the colors mean.</p><p>"Oh, my <em>goodness</em>! Dey're boy colors! MOMMMY! Dey're boy colors!"</p><p>Chuckling, Spencer catches her daughter in the "jump hug" that Rosie gives her, holding up and spinning around.</p><p>She notices her parents and Aria's parents all crying in joy and Mike doing a "guy" hug with Caleb and Toby, as they give him congrats on the nephew.</p><p>The girls, — Hanna, Emily, and Alison, — are equally excited. They are so happy for their best friends, they have a lovely little girl and now are going to have a little boy. A family of four, the perfect number.</p><p>"Mamma!" Still overjoyed, Rosie exclaims to her other mother, "Mamma, you are havin' a boy! Isn't dat bam-tactic?"</p><p>"Yes, that <em>is</em> fantastic! I guess you're happy about it, huh?" Spencer goes over to Aria, leaning down to give her a kiss, and then let Rosie do the same.</p><p>"I am <em>so</em> happy, Mamma! It da best Cwistmas pwesent <em>ever</em>!"</p><p>
  <em> <strong>**End of video**</strong> </em>
</p><hr/><p>Once this part of the video is over, Aria stops the VCR player altogether, as she just cannot handle anymore. Spencer had left the room, and she goes to find them, where they are in the kitchen.</p><p>It is lunchtime and probably, soon, naptime for the toddler and Aria leans down to kiss Scottie's forehead from where he is in his highchair, before doing the same to Spencer.</p><p>Her wife is feeding their son green beans and peas, because for whatever reason, he seems to be the only toddler on the planet who actually <em>enjoys</em> eating his vegetables.</p><p>Afterwards, while Spencer changes her pea-stained shirt, Aria cleans Scottie up and then takes him upstairs to his nursery. She reads him a story, rocking him to sleep, thanking god that her little is still here, and that, <em>please, God, please</em>, Rosie will be found soon.</p><p>That they will get the phone call every parents wants, <em>needs</em>, to get –<em> we've found your daughter</em>.</p><p>She hopes wherever Rosie is, she is not being hurt. She is not being terrified, that she has not lost hope (what's the saying, Spence, she would ask if the circumstances were different, <em>Hope breeds eternal misery</em>?)</p><p>She prays that Rosie is being violated in any way, but mostly, god forbid, sexually. She hopes her 5-year-old is ok, that she will found somewhere, hiding in the woods, in a back room of a restaurant at the Zoo, or will just walk up somewhere and be found by a Good Samaritan.</p><p>She <em>hopes</em> that her daughter will come home. She <em>hopes</em> that Rosie is still alive. She <em>hopes</em> that her baby will be returned to them.</p><p>But most of all…</p><p>She <em>hopes</em> she wakes up from this nightmare very soon.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Next up is Halloween. 4 whole months later. Leave a comment, let me know what you thought. :)</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Halloween</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>4 months after Rosie’s disappearance, Halloween is here. They celebrate by watching videos again.</p>
<p>🎵And it's about to be Halloween. You could be anything you wanted if you were still here.🎵</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Same as always: I don’t own PLL or the characters, nor the lyrics to Taylor Swift’s song “Ronan”. I do own all OCs.</p>
<p>Shoutout to IsaiahFlamez1997. Thank you for commenting. I will try my best to get a steady update schedule over here, but I may forget every once in a while.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <strong> <em>3 months later<br/>
Halloween</em> </strong>
</p><hr/>
<p>
  <strong> <em>*Montgomery-Hastings Residence*</em> </strong>
</p>
<p>It is now Halloween.</p>
<p>Exactly 18 weeks, or 4 months and 2 weeks, since Rosie's disappearance.</p>
<p>The police have run out of leads; the Search and Rescue groups of places to look.</p>
<p>Aria and Spencer have no idea what to do. They have now gone back to work, but Scottie is no longer in Daycare. They just cannot handle dropping him off somewhere that he may not be supervised 100% of the day.</p>
<p>I mean, sure, with Scottie being 17 months old and in the toddler room, he has three teachers watching 15 kids.</p>
<p>But even then, at some point, in the classroom, the playground, <em>somewhere, somehow</em>, there is going to be that <em>one split second</em> where all three teachers are occupied by some other child.</p>
<p>And that will leave Scottie unsupervised.</p>
<p>"Mamma! Mommy!" 17-month-old Aaron Scott calls out as he is brought into the house by his Papa Byron.</p>
<p>Scottie toddles into the kitchen, and Spencer turns from where she was making a cup of coffee. She grabs him up and kisses his cheeks, forehead, and nose, making the little boy giggle.</p>
<p>"Mamma! Mommy!"</p>
<p>"Hey, Buddy! Did you have fun at Papa Byron and Nana Ella's house?"</p>
<p>He nods.</p>
<p>"He was so well behaved, Spencer," Byron tells her. "You and Aria are doing a truly good job raising him."</p>
<p>With tears in her eyes – god when did she become so emotionally fragile? – Spencer smiles and thanks him. He leaves and she takes Scottie to the living room where Aria is looking through a box of VCR tapes.</p>
<p>Scottie wriggles out of Spencer's grip eager to get to Aria. "Mamma!"</p>
<p>"Hey, Bud! How are you? Were you good for Nana and Papa?"</p>
<p>"Yes, he was," Spencer answers while Scottie slides out of Aria's arms and over to the box of movies.</p>
<p>He digs around for a few moments, his two mothers watching in amusement. "Mamma, wash dis!" he triumphantly holds one up, grinning and crawling back over to them.</p>
<p>"You wanna watch this movie, Bud?" Aria asks while Spencer looks to see which one it is.</p>
<p>It's a Halloween movie, fitting for what today is. They can watch this, then get Scottie dressed in his Halloween costume and go out for a couple of hours, before it gets dark and to be his bedtime.</p>
<p>"OK. We can watch this," Turning to her wife, Spencer questions, "Do you want to call the girls? Hanna can bring Mason, and Ali and Em can bring Taylor and Natalie over. It would be good for Mason to see, well…" She trails off, unable to finish.</p>
<p>
  <em>To see Rosie, so he does not forget who she is.</em>
</p>
<p>While Scottie was 13 months when Rosie went missing in June, Mason was a couple of months older, at 18 months. Still, though, he does not <em>really</em> remember who his cousin is…was.</p>
<p>Now at nearly 2 years old, – 22 months, – Mason goes about his day as a normal toddler, unknowing to the grief his parents, aunts, uncles, and older cousins are feeling.</p>
<p>Aria makes the call while Spencer gives Scottie a snack, so he will be able to make it through at least one of the videos before his attention is diverted to somewhere else.</p>
<p>"Alright, Bud, let's get you up here and you can have some of this yummy soup."</p>
<p>"Soooop!" Scottie repeats, drawling the word out. "Yum, yum, yum!" Spencer feeds his the baby food version of Chicken Noodle Soup, and he eats every bit of it along with a few crackers and a sippy cup of apple juice.</p><hr/>
<p>
  <strong><em>*Later*</em> </strong>
</p>
<p>"Hey, everyone!" Alison calls out as she enters her two friends' home.</p>
<p>"Auntie Spence! Aunt Aria!" Taylor yells. He and his sister, Natalie, run through the house.</p>
<p>"Hey, guys! How are you?" Aria wraps an arm around Natalie and then ruffles Taylor's hair. "You two ready for tonight?"</p>
<p>Taylor nods excitedly. This is going to be one of the very first times that he and his sister get to actually celebrate Halloween.</p>
<p>Normally, they got to help put up decorations in their Foster Homes, but never actually got to go trick-or-treating or anything, because they either had to pay for their costumes or had to watch over younger kids, or some other various reasons as to why Halloween was never… well… <em>fun</em>.</p>
<p>This time, though, Alison and Emily took them costume shopping, and they even let Taylor and Nat choose some of the decorations, especially those for their bedrooms.</p>
<p>Their whole house looks like a Haunted Mansion straight from the magazines that Natalie and Taylor have been looking over for the past several weeks.</p>
<p>"I can't wait, Auntie Aria," Taylor says. "I'm going as <em>Captain America</em> and Natalie is going as <em>Superwoman</em>, and we are both going to get so much candy!"</p>
<p>Hearing this, Natalie smiles. She can't wait to dress up as her favorite Superhero, the one who had gotten her through years of being Foster Homes, from those that were abusive to those who simply had parents who had too many kids to give adequate attention to everyone.</p>
<p>"Well, those sound like fantastic choices," Spencer says. "And I, for one, cannot wait to see you two all dressed up."</p>
<p>She motions for everyone to follow her, and she and Aria lead them to the living room, where toys have been strewn about by Scottie, and the TV is set up for a VCR movie.</p>
<p>"We figured we would watch a movie first," Aria explains, and gets various nods or verbal replies. "You know, just to remind us of the happy times, and that... even though Rosie is..." She sighs, and squeezes her eyes shuts.</p>
<p>"Even though she is gone, she is still here in our memories." Her voice breaks halfway, and Taylor hugs his sister as she begins to cry, while Hanna and Caleb give both Scottie and their son, Mason, an extra tight hug.</p>
<p>Spencer, seeing Aria becoming upset, wraps an arm around her. "It's ok, baby… shh…" While she is comforting her, Spencer nods to Emily, who then goes to push play on the movie.</p><hr/>
<p>
  <strong> <em>**video starts here</em> </strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong> <em>Time: October 31st, 2012<br/>
Location: Rosewood, Pennsylvania</em> </strong>
</p>
<p>"Oh, my goodness, look at you!" Hanna squeals as she rounds the corner to where Spencer and Aria are with 16-month-old Rosalie Faye, or Rosie, as her family has taken to calling her.</p>
<p>"You are just so cute!" Hanna continues gushing.</p>
<p>Rosie is dressed in a pink onesie bunny costume. Her belly is white and the hood has pink ears. She is absolutely adorable.</p>
<p>Rosie lights up at seeing her aunt. "Han!" She reaches out, the pacifier in her mouth falling to the ground as she opens her lips in a big smile. Spencer grabs it and puts it to the side before handing the toddler to her best friend.</p>
<p>"That's right, Rosie! I'm your Auntie Hanna! And we are going to have so much fun tonight, you know it?"</p>
<p>Rosie giggles at Hanna.</p>
<p>"Are Mike and Lucille coming along with Ronan tonight?" Hanna asks.</p>
<p>Aria nods. "Yep. Mike is with Mom and Dad, and Lucy is helping Ronan put the last of his costume together."</p>
<p>Ronan, the 4-year-old son of Lucille, who is Mike's girlfriend, is dressing up as the <em>Hulk</em> for tonight. He has a green costume and will have his face and hands painted to match.</p>
<p>Later, once everyone has arrived at the Montgomery-Hastings residence, they split into groups to go trick-or-treating.</p>
<p>"Alright, everyone," Spencer announces. "Those of you that want to go around the neighborhood with Aria, Rosie, and I, please come over here. And those that are going with Lucy, Mike, and Ronan, please go right over there."</p>
<p>She points a little ways to the right. Hanna and Caleb decide to go with Aria, Spencer, and Rosie. Ronan asks Mike to come with him and his mom, and Emily and Alison split up also. Emily and her little sister, Grace, go with the first group, while Alison and her nieces go with the second group.</p>
<p>Ella comes with group #1 while Byron goes with group #2.</p><hr/>
<p>
  <strong>
    <em>*With Group #1*</em>
  </strong>
</p>
<p>"Oh, this is going to be so much fun!" Hanna exclaims, while pushing Rosie in her stroller. Spencer and Aria are following them, the former having a video camera to capture this moment.</p>
<p>"Go-go, Han!" Rosie giggles. "Go-go, Han!" It's two of her favorite words. "Mamma, go-go!"</p>
<p>"Yes," Hanna replies. "We are going trick-or-treating! We are going to get lollipops and chocolate and Starburst and M&amp;Ms, and…"</p>
<p>Aria chuckles at her friend. "Hanna," She says. "Are you sure you didn't come with us just because Rosie is more likely to "share"…" And she uses that term lightly, as Rosie is too young for nearly everything Hanna listed. "Her candy?"</p>
<p>"Psshh," Hanna waves her off. "Aria, you wound me." She places a hand over her heart, and Spencer zooms in so the camera is focused on her wife and best friend.</p>
<p>"Of course that isn't the only the reason!" Hanna continues. "I came because Rosie is the cutest little bunny in the whole world!"</p>
<p>At this, she ducks down and gives a wide, over-enthusiastic grin at the toddler in question.</p>
<p>"Han!" Rosie reaches up.</p>
<p>"Yep, that is right. See, Aria," She sticks her tongue out. "Even she knows it."</p>
<p>A few moments go by, and then Hanna stops the stroller so she can pick Rosie up and take the toddler up to her very first house.</p>
<p>"Al, come with us, so she won't be so frightened," Hanna suggests, knowing that Rosie loves her Auntie Ali and will feel more at ease at the whole "knocking on the door, saying trick-or-treat for candy" thing.</p>
<p>Ali follows with Aria, while Spencer stops a couple of feet behind them with Emily. Hanna rings the doorbell, and the door opens…</p>
<p>"All right, Rosie, say, 'trick-or-treat'!" Aria encourages from behind them.</p>
<p>Ali takes the pink 'pumpkin' bucket and holds it while Hanna tries to get Rosie to speak.</p>
<p>"Can you say, "trick-or-treat" to the nice lady?"</p>
<p>Rosie stays quiet, looking at her aunts as if they have lost their minds, especially when Alison leans in behind the toddler's head and says,</p>
<p>"Twick-or-tweat!"</p>
<p>Rosie jerks away and furrows her brow, looking like 'the hell are you doin?' at Alison while Aria tries not to laugh, and Spencer is shaking her head at her cousin, as she zooms in to get every bit of Rosie's little facial expressions.</p>
<p>Watching this, Emily realizes that, she wants this with Ali. She wants to be the one with the video camera, capturing the moment her wife takes their child to the first house on their first Halloween.</p>
<p>After a couple more tries, and Rosie refusing to speak, the lady at the door finally speaks,</p>
<p>"Oh, look how cute you are!" She gushes. She looks to be about a grandma's age, with greying hair. She turns from the door, and calls into her house,</p>
<p>"Honey, come here! Look at this adorable little girl."</p>
<p>Surprising, another woman shows up, about two inches taller than the first woman. It doesn't take long for the girls to realize they have matching wedding bands on their ring fingers.</p>
<p>"Laura, doesn't she remind you of Lydia?" The first woman asks her wife, and she gets a smile in response.</p>
<p>"She does, Love. She is such a pretty little girl." Laura looks to behind Hanna, Ali, and Rosie, to Spencer and Aria. "And my, look at that, Joan. She even has to beautiful young ladies as she her mommies."</p>
<p>Spencer's hand goes slack on the camera, so Emily takes it from her, as she and Aria don't have a reply.</p>
<p>It's Hanna that actually says something finally, asking of the two women, "You're… You're married?"</p>
<p>And the first woman, Joan, smiles, and nods, "Yes, we certainly are." She takes her wife, Laura's hand, "We've been together since we were 15 years old, although back then, we were together in secret. This year will mark the 8th anniversary of when we finally made it official. We were there in Massachusetts on May 17th, 2004."</p>
<p>Laura nods along, and she gazes at Joan, looking as if this woman if her entire world. "We've been through tough times, even adopting five children. And now, we are grandmas to 5 wonderful grandkids."</p>
<p>Laura looks to Spencer and Aria now; it is obvious the two are together as Spencer has her arm around the shorter girl, in the same way that Joan used to do with Laura, back when it was "forbidden" to have a relationship between two women or two men.</p>
<p>"You hold on each other, girls," She tells them. "There are going to be people who try to change your views, even now, but you hold on to what you believe. You hold on to that feeling you get when you look at each. And you remember, even when you want to give up, how good it feels to wake up before the other in the morning, next to the person you love with all of your heart."</p>
<p>Nearly every girl is crying now, but they are listening intently, even Rosalie is, the toddler seeming to understand that this is a moment you don't find happening very often.</p>
<p>Spencer steps up then, and she hugs both Joan and Laura, saying, "Thank you. I know we are just strangers, but it is so good to see that even a not-so-everyday relationship can survive throughout time. I hope you and your wife get many more years together."</p>
<p>Laura smiles through her own tears, "And I hope you and your Love get as many years together as possible."</p>
<p>At this, Hanna blurts out, "Would you like to come with us? To…to trick-or-treat, ya'know, it would nice, if you'd like."</p>
<p>And Joan is smiling and nodding, while Laura grabs both their jackets, helping her wife into hers, before they shut the door and lock up the house.</p>
<p>The rest of the night is spent with tales from the years of their relationship. Laura and Joan give advice to Spencer and Aria, and then to Em and Ali, when Ali tells them they are together as well.</p>
<p>They give tips on how to keep the romance and spice going, on what to do on days when they just want to throw in the towel, and even how to give each child the right amount of attention.</p>
<p>Joan, Laura, Spencer, Aria, and Hanna take turns going up to the houses with Rosie. They eventually get her to say 'trick-or-treat' and by the end of the night, Rosie has more candy and little treats like bracelets and necklaces, then she knows what to do with.</p>
<p>
  <strong> <em>*End of video*</em> </strong>
</p><hr/>
<p>Everyone is just kind of silent as Spencer stops the tape. They don't really speak, because seeing Rosie, seeing her happy and alive and…and <em>there</em>…is almost too much.</p>
<p>God, it hurts.</p>
<p>It hurts so fucking much and it is unfair.</p>
<p>Why did it have to be them? Why her?</p>
<p>Everything was so perfect back then. They had a routine down and they were all healthy and happy and…</p>
<p>It is incomprehensible. Rosie was such a perfect little girl, she hardly threw tantrums, always did as asked, she was good in school, and she absolutely adored her baby brother.</p>
<p>And sometimes, sometimes at night…</p>
<p>Spencer and Aria lay awake, wondering why it couldn't have been someone else's child.</p>
<p>Why Rosie?</p>
<p>Why not the little boy who was running around the penguins?</p>
<p>Or the toddler girl who was feeding Giraffes.</p>
<p>Or the pair of twins both, simultaneously throwing temper tantrums because their parents wouldn't let them climb into the fucking Lion's Den?</p>
<p>But then…as soon as those thoughts enter their minds, Spencer is mentally slapping herself, and Aria is crying even harder because they know, they fucking know the pain of losing a child and they wonder…</p>
<p>Why the hell they would <em>ever</em> wish it was someone's son or daughter.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Okay, so there is the Halloween chapter! I added Joan and Laura, the older couple, into the story. They are going to become like family to the girls and the kids, but, they also play a very important part to the storyline. 😉 </p>
<p>Also, if the videos being in plain text is confusing, just let me know and I’ll put them in bold or italic next time.</p>
<p>Please comment and let me know what you thought!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. Sometimes, It is Easier to Pretend</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Just a short, brief chapter. It sort of updates on how everyone is doing.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Same as usual: don’t PLL or the characters. Do own all OCs.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <em>
    <strong>November 12</strong>
  </em>
  <em>
    <strong>th</strong>
  </em>
  <em>
    <strong>, 2012</strong>
  </em>
</p>
<hr/>
<p>It's almost as if it never happened.</p>
<p>Sometimes, on days when it is nice outside. When the sky is blue and the wind is just a light breeze and the temperature is still that perfect number of 70°…</p>
<p>On days when Rosie would have been outside, running around with Toby or Caleb or Mike.</p>
<p>On days when the 5-year-old would generously let Aria and Spencer sleep in by getting Scottie out of his crib, giving him some cheerios and a bottle of milk, and playing quietly with him…</p>
<p>On the days when both kids would usually be at Alison and Emily's house, or playing with Mason at Hanna and Caleb's…</p>
<p>On days like that, it is so very easy to pretend that Rosie is still here. That that day at the zoo, the one that was supposed to be perfect and beautiful and fun, the one that ended in absolute tragedy…</p>
<p>It is so easy to <em>pretend</em> that Spencer and Aria came home, hours after leaving the house, exhausted, but with both their son <em>and</em> their daughter.</p>
<p>It is so easy for Hanna to wake up in the morning, and in that one moment, that split second between hazy sleepiness and fully awakeness, it is so easy for her to smile, and wonder what fun things she can do with her niece today.</p>
<p>And Toby, god, Toby, the one who adored Rosalie. The one who loved to teach her how to build things.</p>
<p>It's so easy for him to plan out a sunny-blue day, to think <em>Rosie will be calling any minute now. I should make sure I have the things needed to finish that birdhouse we were building.</em></p>
<p>For Emily, that moment happens at night.</p>
<p>Alison usually goes to bed before Em, because her wife is a night owl who loves to stay up late.</p>
<p>And during the summer or on the weekends, she finds herself sitting on the second couch in their living room, the one right beside the phone. And she watches it and she listens and she waits for the phone to ring.</p>
<p>Because Rosie always calls to say <em>goodnight</em> after being allowed to stayed up a couple of hours later than usual.</p>
<p>And on days like today?</p>
<p>Days like now, when Spencer and Aria are both having a particular rough day, one where they just <em>do not want to get out of bed</em>.</p>
<p>And Hanna is here, watching Scottie, now 18 months old, and doing household chores – the laundry, getting a few meals made and frozen, dusting and vacuuming, etc.</p>
<p>And right now, when Scottie and Mason are both taking a nap upstairs, and Hanna has the radio going in the kitchen, while she washes the dishes, she can <em>almost</em> pretend that…</p>
<p>Rosie is taking a nap also.</p>
<p>That at any moment, the 5-year-old is going to wake up and run down the stairs and squeal in delight when she sees her aunt.</p>
<p>That Spencer and Aria are not up in their bedroom, but in town, grocery shopping, or doing something similar, and have left Hanna here to simply watch the children.</p>
<p>For just a moment, as a song comes on the radio that Rosie loves – loved – Hanna pauses in rinsing a plate off and she stands there with her eyes closed and she listens for the telltale sound of the pitter-patter of a 5-year-old's footsteps…</p>
<p>But for every one of these scenarios...</p>
<p>For every moment that is it so fucking easy to <em>pretend</em> that Rosalie is <em>home, safe,</em> instead of out there somewhere, scared, being hurt, or... or <em>dead.</em></p>
<p>For every time that their minds want to play tricks on them…</p>
<p>It always ends in heartbreak.</p>
<p>They always remember the cold, hard, devastating truth.</p>
<p>Rosie is not home.</p>
<p>She is not safe.</p>
<p>She isn't going to call to say goodnight. She won't run into the kitchen and squeal at Hanna being there.</p>
<p>She won't excitedly call Toby to tell him she wants to build something today.</p>
<p>And she may never get to let Spencer and Aria sleep in again.</p>
<p>Aaron Scott Montgomery-Hastings may only get to have memories of his big sister through recorded videos, moments frozen in time, on a TV screen.</p>
<p>He may never know, in person, just how lucky he was to be born into this family, how loved he was by Rosie.</p>
<p>And that right there?</p>
<p>That is sometimes harder to digest than her not being here in the first place.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>So... this happened. :/</p>
<p>Also, would you guys like a flashback chapter in Rosie's point of view for the moment she disappeared? Or should it be one of those forever-not-known things?</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0006"><h2>6. Permanent</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>There are all kinds of “permanent” things. A tree in the yard, a neighborhood, a favorite restaurant, a house, a family… And sometimes, it would be easier if permanent things stayed that way.</p>
<p>Another short chapter. Taylor makes a realization that crushes him.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Same as usual.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <em>
    <strong>November 19</strong>
  </em>
  <em>
    <strong>th</strong>
  </em>
  <em>
    <strong>, 2016</strong>
  </em>
</p>
<hr/>
<p>
  <strong>
    <em>*Montgomery-Hastings*</em>
  </strong>
</p>
<p>Its Saturday.</p>
<p>It's been 5 months since Rosie vanished into thin air from the Rosewood Zoo.</p>
<p>It's starting to get cold now.</p>
<p>Fall is here and the temperatures are no longer in the 80s and 90s.</p>
<p>Jeans, sweatshirts, tennis shoes, these are all the things that Rosie would have loved to put into her closet. Because ever season, Spencer and Aria would let her have a Fashion Show of sorts.</p>
<p>Rosie would try on her winter/fall outfits from the year before, to see if they still fit. They would put on music and have a strobe light in the living room, where one parents would sit with the camera, while the other parent would stay in her bedroom, and help her change clothes.</p>
<p>Everyone would show up – Hanna and Caleb (with Mason and his clothes), Emily and Alison, with Taylor and Natalie, and Mike and Lucy, with Ronan and his clothes.</p>
<p>Every one of the kids would participate in the Fashion Show. It would take hours to get through all of the shows, there would always be at least one timeout initiated, and more times than not, at least two of the kids would be in tears once or twice.</p>
<p>But it was always fun.</p>
<p><em>Always</em>.</p>
<p>It's a funny word, isn't it?</p>
<p>One of the synonyms is <em>permanent</em>.</p>
<p>It should be <em>permanent</em> fun.</p>
<p>Family should be <em>permanent</em>.</p>
<p>Little kids, running around the house, laughing, squealing, arguing about who gets to use the red cup for lunch, or the blue plate for dinner, tattling about <em>so-and-so is looking at me, Mom!</em></p>
<p>Life…</p>
<p>Life should be permanent, to a fault.</p>
<p>Little kids should get to grow up to be surly, grumpy teenagers, who grow up to be lazy, uninspired pre-adults, who turn into wonderful adulty-adults.</p>
<p>There are many things that can be permanent in life – a house, granted nothing dramatic happens like a tornado, a car, a treehouse, a childhood bedroom, the ability to lay in the floor and laugh until your blue in the face because your 18-month-old finds mommy sneezing to be hilarious.</p>
<p>Many other things are <em>always</em>.</p>
<p>Decorating the house for the different seasons – leafs and pumpkins for fall, trees and wreathes and red and green for winter, pinks and purples and flowers for the spring.</p>
<p>Sometimes, that permanent feeling being <em>yanked away</em> doesn't take hold until months after the traumatic, life-altering episode.</p>
<p>Like now.</p>
<p>Alison and Emily would love to say that their family is handling the disappearance of their 5-year-old niece perfectly.</p>
<p>There was explaining of what was going on, there was crying, and days where they prayed so hard, and for just a one, teeny-tiny little second…</p>
<p>They thought it might have worked.</p>
<p>There were times where they held their daughter as she cried because of the haunting, never-ending <em>nightmares.</em></p>
<p>There was times when they told Taylor it was ok to not be strong. To cry. To scream and yell.</p>
<p>They thought everyone <em>understood it</em>… when Taylor was so mad because they didn't set out Rosie's pink and purple cup and plate for the "first day of school family dinner".</p>
<p>When Natalie stomped off to her bedroom, to slam the door, because she no longer allowed to walk to the park alone.</p>
<p>They thought everything was getting to be ok again.</p>
<p>But that <em>permanent</em> feeling that they all wished they could still have? The one that was yanked away in a split-second 5 months ago?</p>
<p>It finally snuck up on him.</p>
<p>It finally <em>hit him</em> that his baby cousin was <em>gone</em> and no amount of praying or looking or wishing will bring her back.</p>
<p>It hits him, on the second Saturday of November, when he is out with his sisters and his mothers. When they are buying new Fall decorations for the house.</p>
<p>It hits him when he sees <em>it</em>.</p>
<p>The tablecloth for Thanksgiving. The one that can be colored and drawn on.</p>
<p>The one that his aunts had last year.</p>
<p>The one that Rosie was so excited to show him. The one on which he and she played tic-tac-toe and all of the other games.</p>
<p>It's where Alison finds him after sending him off to get something and him not coming back and her worrying and going to look for him.</p>
<p>It's there, in the middle of the table-setting isle, that she finds her 12-year-old son, stock-still, staring at that damned tablecloth.</p>
<p>She approaches him slowly, not wanting to scare him, but…</p>
<p>"Tay? Are you okay, sweetie?"</p>
<p>He doesn't turn towards her. He seems not to have heard her, and she goes to panic, but then…</p>
<p>"She's not coming back, is she, Mama?"</p>
<p>And he turns to her, and the look in his eyes breaks her heart, and she understands in that moment that, no, everything has not been fine these past couple of months.</p>
<p>He finally breaks then. He breaks in the middle of Target, in the kitchen section. He sobs and it hurts her so much and the only thing she can do is… hug him. And shush him. And tell him <em>I know, baby. I know</em>.</p>
<p>It would be so nice if things that were <em>supposed to be</em> permanent would <em>actually stay permanent</em>, wouldn't it?</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Joan and Laura will be in the next chapter. They find out their pseudo-granddaughter disappeared 5 months ago. And you will find out what their connection to the storyline is.</p>
<p>Comment and let me know what you thought. :)</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0007"><h2>7. Not Again</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Taylor finds hope that his cousin is alive. And Joan and Laura find out that their granddaughter is missing – along with revealing some surprising news.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I don’t own PLL or the characters. I do own all OCs.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <strong> <em>4 months, 25 days since Rosalie's disappearance</em> </strong>
</p><hr/><p><em> <strong>November 21</strong> </em> <em> <strong>st</strong> </em> <em> <strong>, 2016</strong> </em></p><hr/><p>
  <strong> <em>*Montgomery-Hastings residence*</em> </strong>
</p><p>"It's almost Thanksgiving, Mama."</p><p>That is the first thing of Taylor's mouth when Alison walks into the kitchen on Monday.</p><p>It's been two days since his breakdown in Target.</p><p>Two days since his world came crashing down on him as he realized fully that his baby cousin is, in fact, missing, and most likely, she will not be coming back, at least, not alive.</p><p>He has done his research since his realization on Saturday, but even without it, he is 12 years old, almost 13, in Jr. High, and exceptionally smart for his age.</p><p>He knows that the hope his little sister and his aunts and uncles have for 5-year-old Rosie being found alive…</p><p>It's probably not enough.</p><p>She is probably already dead.</p><p>After all, kids who are not found within 72 hours, especially young ones, like stubborn 5-year-olds, are not usually found alive.</p><p>However, there are some cases where an absolute miracle happens.</p><p>Take Jaycee Dugard, for example. 11 years old and kidnapped on her way to school way back on June 10th, 1991.</p><p>She was found 18 years, 2 months, and 16 days later, on August 26th, 2009. She was alive. She <em>survived</em> the unthinkable for <em>18 years</em>.</p><p>Not only that, but…</p><p>She had two daughters, as well. She <em>survived </em>the torment and terror, while also raising two beautiful, unsuspecting, innocent little girls.</p><p>For 18 years, her parents held out hope that their baby girl would come home.</p><p>Taylor cried when he read about Jaycee. Because if Jaycee could be <em>strong</em> and <em>survive </em>for <em>18 long fucking years…</em></p><p>Then maybe there was — <em>is </em>— a chance that Rosie could still be alive.</p><p>Maybe she will get to come home also.</p><p>It's one of the things he thinks, as his mom comes into the kitchen, and he informs her that Thanksgiving is, indeed, 3 days away.</p><p>Alison answers to his comment with, "Yes, it certainly is, sweetheart."</p><p>No one has realized yet, but there is two people who are not aware of Rosalie's disappearance.</p><p>Rosie's pseudo grandparents, Joan and Laura, the nice older ladies from the video of Rosie's first Halloween.</p><p>They have been out of the states, over in London, visiting some family; getting to see their kids and grandchildren. They stayed the entire summer, plus the last couple of months. They are flying in later today.</p><p>It's Taylor who mentioned it to them first, the oldest and the one to <em>realize</em> before everyone else.</p><p>"Nana Joan and Mimi Laura don't know about Rosie, do they?" He had asked.</p><p>Everyone in the room let out a mental, collective, 'oh, fuck," at that question.</p><hr/><p>
  <strong> <em>*Later*</em> </strong>
</p><p>It's around one in the afternoon when it happens.</p><p>Aria and Spencer arrive at the house; they have Scottie in tow, with Aria also carrying Mason, because the two toddlers were having a playdate. Hanna and Caleb are already here at Alison and Emily's house.</p><p>Everyone takes a seat, on the couch, the chairs, the floor. Scottie and Mason are in their playpen, Natalie is trying to play with her Nintendo, but not even that can keep the little girl occupied for very long.</p><p>There is a thick tension in the air. It is felt by <em>every</em> person in the room, including the two toddlers.</p><p>"I can't believe we forgot to tell them."</p><p>Hanna is the one to say it. But she is not the only one to <em>think</em> it.</p><p>How do they forget something like this? How do they forget to inform a set of grandparents that their <em>granddaughter</em> was kidnapped? Sure, Laura and Joan are not actually related but that does not mean the two older women do not love every child in this room as their own.</p><p>Because they <em>do</em>.</p><p>They spent Thanksgiving and Christmas together last year. Everyone gathered at Joan and Laura's for Easter then here at Hanna's for Mother's Day. The kids — Rosie, Natalie, and Taylor, — made them cards for Mother's Day while Mason did fingerprint flowers for them in Daycare.</p><p>"You should have told them!" Taylor suddenly snaps. "Why didn't you tell them?!"</p><p>"Tay–"</p><p>"No!"</p><p>Everybody just… stops. And waits. They are stunned by the young boy's attitude and raised voice. Even Mason and Scottie have stopped babbling to each other in their playpen.</p><p>Emily and Alison look at him. They see the hurt, the fear. They see a scared little boy who just wants his cousin to <em>come home</em>. They see no answers, no way to make this better. How would one make this better?</p><p>"You should have called them. It isn't fair! They are going to come home, and Rosie is going to be gone and they won't know it, and it <em>isn't fair</em>!"</p><p>"You're right," Aria whispers out before either Em or Ali can say something to him. "You are right, Taylor. We <em>should</em> have called them. It is not fair that they are going to come home and find out life has changed so much since they have been gone. That is–… It is my fault. I–"</p><p>Now it is Spencer who interrupts, reaching out for Aria's hand.</p><p>"No, babe. Don't. It is not your fault. It is not any of our faults. It is true. That it is not right for them to not know. Joan and Laura are family, and all of our family should have been informed, but they weren't. And, Tay, sweetheart, we are so sorry for that. We are so, so sorry that you and Natalie are hurting and that there is nothing any of us can do to make it better."</p><p>She stands up here and she walks over to Taylor, bending down in front of him, "This is <em>not</em> your fault, do you understand me, Taylor Anthony?"</p><p>At first, neither Emily nor Alison understands what she is meaning.</p><p>But Spencer gets it. Because she feels the same way.</p><p>Taylor feels like this is his fault because he was the oldest. He should have invited Rosie to play or been watching her, or doing something to make sure she was not left unattended.</p><p>Just like Spencer.</p><p>"This is <em>not</em> your fault, Taylor. Do you understand?"</p><p>His bottom lip trembles. His face is one of utter heartbreak, but he nods.</p><p>He nods. And Spencer pulls him into her arms, and they sit there, these two wonderful people, decades apart in age and knowledge, but both affected by the same terrible event that took place nearly five months ago.</p><p>"We should have told them, Aunt Spencer." He mutters and she can do nothing but… whisper <em>I know</em>.</p><p>Because they should have.</p><hr/><p>
  <strong> <em>*Much later*</em> </strong>
</p><p>They should have gave the news themselves to Joan and Laura.</p><p>But instead, the pseudo grandmothers found out when they saw one of the missing persons fliers as they drove through Rosewood. They saw the teddy bears and candles and the cards piled up in front of the gate to the Zoo.</p><p>They decided to check it out, see who all of those things were for.</p><p>The car stopped. Time stopped. Their hearts… stopped.</p><p>
  <strong> <em>Have You Seen Me?</em> </strong>
</p><p>Big and bold and the worst four words of their entire lives captioning a picture of…</p><p>5-year-old Rosalie Montgomery-Hastings.</p><p>15 minutes later and they arrive at Spencer and Aria's house, and they are welcomed inside immediately.</p><p>"What is this?!"</p><p>Joan waves around one of the fliers angrily.</p><p>"Missing?! Please, god, please tell me this is not what I think it is."</p><p>The look on their younger mirror images' faces says it all, but she needs to hear it.</p><p>"It happened on her birthday!" Aria sobs. "She was <em>right there</em> and then… she wasn't." They fill them in on the details. Everyone was getting lunch, the kids were on the playground, one moment she was there and then…</p><p>"This cannot be happening!" Joan shouts, surprising them with, "Not again." She looks to her own wife. "Not again, Laura. I can't go through this again."</p><p>And she walks away. Laura tries to stop her, but she dodges the outstretched hand, and she storms out of the house. Spencer and Aria are both left dumbfounded and confused.</p><p>"W-What–… What does she mean '<em>not again</em>'?" Spencer stutters out.</p><p>Laura's expression immediately crumples, and she goes to her purse on the table.</p><p>She pulls out her wallet and then a folded up piece of paper. It is old, <em>years</em> old, and it crumpled and looks to have folded and unfolded a thousand times.</p><p>She does it again. Laura unfolds it, smoothing out the creases with great care, and then…</p><p>She hands it over to Spencer.</p><p>
  <strong> <em>Have You Seen Me?</em> </strong>
</p><p><em>Name: Margaret Lillien</em><br/>Age: 5<br/>Disappeared on: June 27, 1996</p><p>A beautiful little girl with dimples and bright eyes stares back at Spencer. She looks up at Laura, wide-eyed.</p><p>The paper goes slack in her hand and Aria catches it. She feels the air sucked out of her…</p><p>"Our daughter," Laura whispers in a hoarse voice. "Our daughter was kidnapped from the same Zoo, the same restaurant, the same day, exactly 20 years before Rosalie."</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>I want to note that this set of chapters will be in the timeline of her being found alive.</p><p>And Laura and Joan's daughter was kidnapped, as well. I have so many plans for this new piece of information...</p><p>Please comment and let me know what you thought! :)</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0008"><h2>8. 20 years later (Flashback to 1996)</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Laura and Joan explain the bombshell they dropped on Spencer and Aria, to them and the rest of the family.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I do not own PLL or the characters. I do own all OCs.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <strong> <em>4 months, 25 since Rosalie's disappearance</em> </strong>
</p><hr/><p>
  <em> <strong>November 21st, 2016</strong></em>
</p><hr/><p>
  <strong> <em>*Joan &amp; Laura Taylor's Residence*</em> </strong>
</p><p>After several moments of… complete <em>silence</em>… Spencer chokes out,</p><p>"<em>What?</em>"</p><p>Laura walks over to the mantle above the fireplace. She reaches for a tiny little frame hidden behind the rest of the bigger ones.</p><p>It is a small frame, about 4x4, and it is of that same little girl… The one with dimples and bright eyes; the one that is oh, so beautiful. The one whose picture accompanied the words <em>Have You See Me?</em></p><p>"This is Margaret," She chokes out. "She is four in the photo. It was the last school photo we had of her, and we were supposed to go for Family Portraits after the Zoo that day."</p><p>After this, they invite everyone else over. Laura goes to look for Joan, and the two come back, and…</p><p>"It was a beautiful, sunny day, much like it was 4 months ago, I suppose…"</p><hr/><p>
  <strong> <em>Flashback</em> </strong>
</p><p>
  <strong> <em>Date: June 27th, 1996</em></strong>
  <strong><em><br/>Place: Joan &amp; Laura's house</em> </strong>
</p><p>
  <strong> <em>"Is everyone ready?!"</em> </strong>
</p><p>
  <strong> <em>39-year-old Joan Taylor calls it out across her house. Her fiancée of 5 years, Laura Taylor, comes into the room.</em> </strong>
</p><p>
  <strong> <em>"Jordan is all ready to go, babe. Kimmie, Joel, and Margaret are putting their shoes on, I believe."</em> </strong>
</p><p>
  <strong> <em>"If we leave now, we should be able to spend about an hour and a half at the Zoo. Our appointment is at 2 o'clock, and that will give us about half an hour to get there, get everyone dressed, and anything else that will need to be done."</em> </strong>
</p><p>
  <strong> <em>Laura nods to this, coming over to where Joan is checking the bags of things needed for a trip to the Zoo with four kids. She leans in for a kiss.</em> </strong>
</p><p>
  <strong> <em>"Sounds good. We can always leave the Zoo a little early, to give us more time for the appointment."</em> </strong>
</p><p>
  <strong> <em>The "appointment" they speak of is one where they are going to have their Family Portrait done.</em></strong>
</p><p>
  <strong><em>It is the 90s, and very hard to find someone who will not hang up after Joan says, "My fiancée and I," and then follow up that with, "She".</em> </strong>
</p><p>
  <strong> <em>Finally, though, after a dozen tries, and nights of crying, and hours of holding each other as they broke down, and… just wishing someone would look at them like they were normal instead of a family of freaks because both parents were women…</em> </strong>
</p><p>
  <strong> <em>They found someone. Her name is Tracy Anderson, and she sounded wonderful and polite over the phone.</em></strong>
</p><p><strong><em>Even better – she </em> </strong> <strong>didn't</strong> <strong> <em> hang up when Joan explained to her that she and her </em> </strong> <strong>female </strong> <strong> <em>fiancée wanted some family photos done with their four children.</em> </strong></p><p>
  <strong> <em>"Can you believe it, babe?" Joan says. "I mean…" She shakes her head, still in awe. "Do you think this is for real?"</em></strong>
</p><p>
  <strong><em>She hates to think it, but…</em> </strong>
</p><p>
  <strong> <em>"I mean, you don't think this was just a scam to try and get our money? This woman actually wants to photograph our family, even though we are both women?"</em> </strong>
</p><p><strong> <em>As much as she absolutely </em> </strong> <strong>despises</strong> <strong> <em>thinking, let alone saying it, Laura  knows Joan's worry is not coming from a place of unnecessary concern.</em></strong></p><p>
  <strong><em>It is the 90s, after all, and same-sex relationships, let alone those couples who have children, are not exactly… well… excepted.</em> </strong>
</p><p>
  <strong> <em>But, Laura tries to soothe her fiancée's worries by saying,</em> </strong>
</p><p><strong> <em>"I think she was genuine, honey. She sounded sincere, and she seemed up to talking about the different types of photos, even after I explained that we were both women. She was willing to work around the kids' sports schedules, and I think that would have been taking it too far if this </em> </strong> <strong>was</strong> <strong> <em> just a scam."</em> </strong></p><p>
  <strong> <em>They hope it is for real. They have already endured so many looks, heard the whispers, out at the park, the supermarket, in airports, or at school.</em></strong>
</p><p><strong><em>And god, their own </em> </strong> <strong>kids</strong> <strong> <em> have even lost friends when it is found out that Kimmie, Jordan, Joel, and Margaret have two moms.</em> </strong></p><p><strong> <em>The number of times the four — even Margaret, at only 5 years old! — have come home upset, crying, distraught over the words the other kids have called their </em> </strong> <strong>parents</strong> <strong> <em>…</em> </strong></p><p><strong> <em>It broke Laura and Joan's hearts, but they, and the kids, are strong. They persevere, reminding themselves that, one day, the world </em> </strong> <strong>will</strong> <strong> <em> except same-sex couples; one day, Joan and Laura will be able to get married, just like a man and woman can.</em> </strong></p><p>
  <strong> <em>So now?</em> </strong>
</p><p>
  <strong> <em>Now Laura gives Joan a kiss to try and reassure her. She reminds her of how many calls they and the lady have made in the last couple of weeks, trying to schedule around the kids' sports practices. And Joan nods her understanding, and reminds her own self </em> </strong>
</p><p>
  <strong> <em>After a few more minutes, their kids, – 17-year-old Jordan, 15-year-old Joel, 10-year-old Kimmie, and 5-year-old Margaret come skipping into the kitchen.</em> </strong>
</p><p><strong> <em>Well, </em> </strong> <strong>actually</strong> <strong> <em>, Jordan, Kimmie and Joel come into the kitchen, while Margaret is on Joel's shoulders.</em> </strong></p><p>
  <strong> <em>"Mama!" The 5-year-old squeals. "Look how tall I am!"</em> </strong>
</p><p>
  <strong> <em>Joan and Laura both smile at their youngest daughter. Kimmie nudges them, saying,</em></strong>
</p><p>
  <strong><em>”Yeah, Mom. If she stays that tall, she might be able to go on that roller coaster at the County Fair next month!"</em> </strong>
</p><p>
  <strong> <em>Margaret lights up at this and, even though she knows her big sister is kidding, she says, "Oh, do you think so, Mama, Madré?"</em> </strong>
</p><p>
  <strong> <em>Laura just shakes her head at her children's silliness.</em> </strong>
</p><p>
  <strong> <em>"Ok, you two, let's go. We won't have anytime for the Zoo if we take any longer." And the four kids obediently grab their bags (with sunscreen, water, and a snack each), and head to their minivan to load up.</em> </strong>
</p><hr/><p>
  <em> <strong>*At the Zoo*</strong> </em>
</p><p>
  <strong> <em>"I wanna see the tigers, Mama!" Margaret chirps as soon as they are through the gates.</em> </strong>
</p><p>
  <strong> <em>"Yeah, I want to see the penguins!"</em> </strong>
</p><p>
  <strong> <em>This is from Kimmie, and Joel and Jordan chip with wanting to the panda bears and the lions.</em></strong>
</p><p>
  <strong><em>They head towards the tigers first. Then they will make their way through the Zoo, to the other animals.</em> </strong>
</p><p>
  <strong> <em>Margaret is on Jordan's shoulders, way up high so she can see into the Tiger Den.</em> </strong>
</p><p>
  <strong> <em>"Look at how pretty the tigers are!"</em> </strong>
</p><p>
  <strong> <em>"They look so happy and lazy," Kimmie giggles. "I wish I was a tiger! All you'd have to do is lay in the sun, and there would be people who bring you food, and you would get to be lazy all day!"</em> </strong>
</p><p>
  <strong> <em>Joan and Laura watch their kids as they take turns telling stories of how fun it would be to live as different types of animals.</em></strong>
</p><p>
  <strong><em>They continue their way through the Zoo, and at each animal section — the lions, penguins, zebras, panda bears, etc. — they spin the stories.</em> </strong>
</p><p>
  <strong> <em>Margaret rides in the stroller that they rented from the front office of the Zoo, and sometimes, Kimmie rides in it, too.</em></strong>
</p><p>
  <strong><em>Joel and Jordan race each other to different animal sections, and overall, Joan and Laura enjoy watching their babies being happy and having fun.</em> </strong>
</p><p><strong> <em>"I'm hungry, </em> </strong> <strong> <em>Madré</em>.</strong><strong><em>" Margaret pipes up from the stroller. Joan checks her watch and sees they still have nearly half an hour before they need to leave.</em></strong></p><p>
  <strong><em>And there is a restaurant close to the gates so they can go there to eat instead of driving through somewhere else.</em> </strong>
</p><p><strong> <em>They go to the </em> </strong> <strong>Lioness Den</strong><strong><em>, which is the restaurant they going to eat at.</em> </strong></p><p>
  <strong> <em>"Jo-Jo," Laura calls out to her son, Joel. "Stay here with Margie, ok?"</em> </strong>
</p><p>
  <strong> <em>"Yes, Mama." He turns to his baby sister. "Come on, Marg, we can play on the monkey bars while we wait for Mama and Mom."</em> </strong>
</p><p>
  <strong> <em>"I'll race you to the bars!" He yells, making "claws" with his hands to which, Margaret squeals and runs off.</em> </strong>
</p><p>
  <strong> <em>"No, Bubba! I'll get to the bars before you!"</em> </strong>
</p><p>
  <strong> <em>They run through the playground equipment — the monkey bars, climbing dome, slides, and swings.</em> </strong>
</p><p>
  <strong> <em>"Rawr!" Joel jumps out from the corner of the slide, scaring Margaret. He then picks her up, tickling her, listening to the pleasant sounds of her giggles.</em> </strong>
</p><p>
  <strong> <em>"No, Bubba! Let me go!"</em> </strong>
</p><p>
  <strong> <em>Over their laughter, the two siblings hear,</em> </strong>
</p><p>
  <strong> <em>"Jo-Jo! Margie! Come wash your hands, please, lunch is ready.</em> </strong>
</p><p>
  <strong> <em>They have bottled water and a bar of soap to wash their hands. Then, the five kids enjoy a lunch of milk, chicken strips, and ranch dressing.</em> </strong>
</p><p>
  <strong> <em>"These are so good," Kimmie comments. "Like, the best chicken strips, ever."</em> </strong>
</p><p>
  <strong> <em>Joan smirks.</em> </strong>
</p><p><strong> <em>"The best, huh? So, what do you think of </em> </strong> <strong>my</strong> <strong> <em> chicken strips."</em> </strong></p><p>
  <strong> <em>Kimmie freezes with her bottle of milk touching her lips.</em> </strong>
</p><p>
  <strong> <em>"Uh…"</em> </strong>
</p><p>
  <strong> <em>Her hesitance makes Joel laugh.</em> </strong>
</p><p><strong> <em>"Yours are good, too, Mommy!" She finally gets out, though her facial expression gives away how much she is trying </em> </strong> <strong>not</strong> <strong> <em> to laugh right now.</em> </strong></p><p>
  <strong> <em>Joan pokes her daughter's side, making the 10-year-old squeal.</em> </strong>
</p><p>
  <strong> <em>"No, Mommy!" She gets out between giggles, as her mother keeps tickling her. "I take it back! Yours are the bestest chicken strips in the entire world!"</em> </strong>
</p><p>
  <strong> <em>Finally, Joan ceases her attack, but only because Laura says,</em> </strong>
</p><p>
  <strong> <em>"Babe, come on."</em> </strong>
</p><p>
  <strong> <em>She is trying so hard not to laugh herself, and…</em> </strong>
</p><p>
  <strong> <em>She does not even notice the looks from couples and families around them.</em> </strong>
</p><p>
  <strong> <em>Jordan notices, though. And he nudges his brother, Joel, in the side.</em></strong>
</p><p><strong><em>The 15-year-old looks around, feeling his happiness fade away as the people around them — moms, dads, kids, </em> </strong> <strong>families —</strong><strong><em> look at them in disgust as they realize that Laura, a woman, called Joan, another woman, "babe", which can only mean one thing…</em> </strong></p><p>
  <strong> <em>"Mama…"</em> </strong>
</p><p>
  <strong> <em>Jordan mumbles it lowly, but it gets her attention. Joan rushes to distract Kimmie and Margie, as she, too, understands what is happening.</em> </strong>
</p><p>
  <strong> <em>"Okay, guys," Laura knows she has to stall. "Let's clean up and head out. It is about time we leave."</em> </strong>
</p><p><strong> <em>But Kimmie, oh, sweet, sweet little Kimmie, knows </em> </strong> <strong>exactly</strong> <strong> <em> what is going on. And, bless her heart, so does little, 5-year-old Margaret.</em> </strong></p><p>
  <strong> <em>"It's ok, Mama," She reassures them. "They just don't understand! We are a family–" She pointedly looks at a certain couple. "– and it does not matter if we have two mommies, two daddies, or one mommy and one daddy."</em> </strong>
</p><p>
  <strong> <em>She glares, as heatedly as a 5-year-old can.</em> </strong>
</p><p><strong> <em>"You and Mommy love us, and we love you, and we are happy, healthy, and safe with you. Those other, </em> </strong> <strong>mean</strong>–<strong><em>" Another glare is sent out here. "people just do not understand."</em> </strong></p><p><strong> <em>Then, as if she </em> </strong> <strong>wasn't</strong> <strong> <em> just glaring at the majority of the people around them, she smiles, and says,</em> </strong></p><p>
  <strong> <em>"I have to go potty, Mama."</em> </strong>
</p><p>
  <strong> <em>Laura is secretly wiping her eyes of the tears, and Joan puffs up like the proud mommy she is, and Jordan, Joel, and Kimmie take pride, at this moment, in calling Margaret Lillien their baby sister.</em> </strong>
</p><p>
  <strong> <em>Joan sends Margie with Kimmie to the bathrooms while the rest of them clear the table. They throw away their trash, wipe their faces, fill up their drinks.</em> </strong>
</p><p>
  <strong> <em>Joel is doing some sort of imitation of the monkeys, and Jordan is egging him on, and Joan and Laura are enjoying this moment of pure happiness, oh, so much.</em> </strong>
</p><p>
  <strong> <em>But then…</em> </strong>
</p><p>
  <strong> <em>"MAMA!"</em> </strong>
</p><p>
  <strong> <em>In a split-second, their whole entire world flips on its side.</em> </strong>
</p><p>
  <strong> <em>*End of flashback*</em> </strong>
</p><hr/><p>"Kimmie had been distracted by something outside the bathrooms," Joan explains, as the entire roomful of people are now in tears, and Spencer and Aria are shook to the core.</p><p>"She walked away several feet, then, once she realized it had been a while, she went to check on Margaret. And found that she was no longer in the bathroom."</p><p>It's been 20 years.</p><p>20 years and 5 months, to be exact.</p><p>7,452 days…</p><p>10,731,077 minutes, and counting, since they have seen, heard, or hugged their baby girl.</p><p>"Kimmie yelling that day has haunted my dreams my entire life."</p><p>Laura whispers it, but god, does it feel as if she is <em>screaming</em>.</p><p>"I can't get it out my head…" Joan tightens her grip on the hand of the woman who she has been able to officially call her <em>wife</em> for 15 years now.</p><p>"We searched, day and night, for weeks, months… Suddenly, we weren't the abominations who were ruining our children's lives. Suddenly, we were to two grieving, <em>devastated</em> parents who had their baby girl taken from them."</p><p>It is different now, 20 years later. Spencer and Aria were able to get married nearly right after Aria proposed.</p><p>They can have children — through adoption, or surrogacy — and they were not treated differently when one of them made that 911 call that cemented the fact that their <em>own</em> baby girl was gone.</p><p>And looking at Joan and Laura?</p><p>Looking at these two women who, even now, they look up to?</p><p>They can see the toll this has taken on them. They can see that time does <em>not</em> "heal all wounds".</p><p>They can see the young, terrified, and distraught parents that they were that day, and who they still are, all these years later.</p><p>God, Aria thinks, as she turns to Spencer, and buries her face in her wife's neck. God, how she <em>prays</em>, they will not have to go 20 years without knowing where Rosie is, or what happened to her, or who took their little girl.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>So, this did not turn out as I planned. Back when I first introduced Laura and Joan in that Halloween home video, I knew exactly what I wanted to happen. It did not take long to decide that I wanted them to have some sort of… connection, to Spencer and Aria.</p><p>Now… It is 20 years later. And Margaret Lillien would be 25 years old. Is there still hope that their daughter could be alive, 2 decades later?</p><p>Please comment and let me know what you thought! :)</p>
        </blockquote><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>And here it is. Rosie's birthday and her going missing. As you could see, it literally happened in the few seconds that it took for Spencer to look away, request a refill, and hand over her cup. Then, she turned back, and Rosie was gone.</p><p>Next up: follow-up chapter – two weeks later and the search is going strong.</p><p>Please let me know what you thought! :)</p></blockquote></div></div>
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